PERSONAL PICKS - PATRICK MADRID

Qualified to Satisfy
Learn how to win an argument with a Fundamentalist about the Eucharist.

The Hidden Manna
By Fr. James T. O'Connor

Vatican II declared that the "divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church" (Sacrosanctum Concilium 2). Therefore, Catholics should both deepen their understanding and love for Christ in the Eucharist and learn how to explain this teaching to non-Catholics.

Catholic apologetics is moving to a higher level because of the increasing sophistication of anti-Catholic arguments. Their arguments aren't getting better, but they are more clever and subtle than those used in days gone by. Since the Holy Eucharist is a prime Catholic doctrine under attack, we should be equipped with the best information available. This book is an invaluable tool.

Fr. O'Connor, theology professor at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, provides a tour de force of the biblical and patristic evidence for the Eucharist. More than just a collection of data, The Hidden Manna deftly narrates the development of the doctrine across the sweep of Church history. The section explaining the errors of early Eucharistic heresies and those of the Protestant Reformers is especially good.

(Hardback, 376 pages, $17.95.)

Go to the "Envoy Products" section to order this book (and others).

How to Win an Argument
By Michael A. Gilbert

Joseph Joubert said, "It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle it without debate." I'd add only that the best thing is to debate a question and settle it (in your favor, of course). Unfortunately, the art of civilized debate - known in certain circles as "arguing" - has fallen on hard times. Many people these days have lost the ability to reason with precision. Not only are they unable to frame arguments well, they often can't spot the fallacies others commit.

Not being able to argue well hinders the Catholic who wants to explain and defend the Faith. But this can be overcome by spending a few enjoyable hours with How to Win an Argument. Besides being an entertaining read (it's packed with interesting sample dialogues and examples of fallacious arguments), it gives you the basics you need to sharpen your skills as an apologist. You'll get tips on the psychology of argumentation, what kinds of questions and answers are effective (and which ones aren't), and you'll learn to spot common formal and informal fallacies.

Think of this book as your personal trainer in the gentle art of persuasion. Read it and you won't be flustered the next time you have to argue a point - you'll know how to do so with poise, sound logic, and effectiveness.

(Softback, 194 pages, $15.99.)

Go to the "Envoy Products" section to order this book (and others).

Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic
By David B. Currie

There's much to love about this book, aside from its witty (and exquisitely apt) title. It's arguably one of the finest conversion stories written in modern times, one that deserves careful study and wide distribution. Well-known convert from Evangelicalism Tom Howard says, "David Currie has written what may turn out to be the work on the nettlesome topic of Evangelicals being received into the Catholic Church. . . . He pursues every conceivable topic - biblical, ecclesiological, theological, and historical - that arises in the discussions on this matter." The topics include scriptural authority, the papacy, the Church, sacraments, salvation, Marian doctrines, and moral issues.

Many Protestants never make the journey to the Catholic Church because no one bothers to show them the path. This book does. Like a master cartographer, Currie traces the route to Rome with charity and precision. He knows the way - he's made the journey himself.

(Softback, 215 pages, $11.99.)